Monday, September 29, 2008

OHIO/CINNKY: WALK TO STOP AIDS

The WALK TO STOP AIDS was awesome this year. Thanks, much, to STOP AIDS for putting together an amazing event. I showed up hungover -- as is my usual for the Walk -- but still had a great time with a great team!

19 walked with my team this year at work -- the first time my program has ever been represented in the ten years it's been in existence. And we raised over $1300 for the cause! WHOOHOO!!!!

Some quick pictures:


Sunrising at Sawyer Point


Vice Mayor Crowley speaking to the audience


The crowd at Sawyer Point


It's not a party without the Flaggets


Hey look, it's me and Juliet from Juliet and Juliette!


My awesome, rocking team!


I don't quite get the balloon


The only non-fuzzy picture I have of the crowd, apparently


Apparently the spellcheck, though, cost money


Cheryl and Valerie cheering us at the end.


My awesome team at the end, in line for free coneys!

Two bonus pictures

Guy stealing a sign. No really. With like 1000+ people walking by.


Homeless encampment on the river...

Oh, and I posted a fun little blog about it over at Rainbow Cincinnati. Your preview...
As usual, the WALK TO STOP AIDS was a success.

I'm getting bored with the ongoing excellence and pride that STOP AIDS (formerly AVOC) takes in its crown jewel of event. Every year, it's the same old well-organized, fun event where hundreds of people show up and hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised. I'm annoyed by the free stuff I get, the competition I generate raising money against friends, the hugs you get from everyone you know when you're walking around Sawyer Point, and the exhausted relaxation in the grass with your Dixie Chili at the end of the 5 miles. And, I know, I know. Those people they get to cheer along the route and hug you, give you high fives, and tell you how great you're doing -- I know. Bothersome.

This was my sixth year there. And it's just annoying to have to be involved that much, isn't it?

And this year, I'm glad to see so many of my fellow homosexuals agreed with me. See, when I came out and thought "gee, I want to get involved," I did what every self-respecting queer does... get involved as much as possible everywhere I could. And then I started dating, made friends, got laid a couple of times, and became more jaded than my own good.

Maybe I'm not as active as I have been in the past.

But, I would like to whole-heartedly agree with every single homosexual who decided to sleep in the morning of the WALK TO STOP AIDS rather than drag their hung-over asses out of bed, write a $10 check, and walk for about two hours in the interest of supporting their community.

You're right, the whole noxiously cheerful and feel-good-ness of the event was just too much to deal with at 8am. STOP AIDS should really do something about that.
Click here for the rest.
And don't forget to check out my full blog over there, and the rest of the excellent content on the site by clicking on the link below!!!!

CINCY GAY SCENE: A local boy being harassed...

How did I miss this? Mucho gracias to Joe.My.God...

From the Dayton Daily News:
HAMILTON (yes, that's Ohio, folks) — A Garfield Middle School student and his family are challenging the Hamilton City School District over his right to wear black eyeliner and lipstick to school.

Matt Allsup, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at the school, was told Monday, Sept. 22, to wash the makeup off his face. An administrator told Allsup it was "distracting" and therefore against the district's dress code.

Allsup said the makeup "expresses who I am. I am not like other people. I like rock 'n' roll and this expresses that. I am discriminated against."

Students in the Hamilton school district wear character badges that encourage acceptance and valuing the uniqueness of others, Allsup said.

"Why make us wear the character cards if they are not going to let us be unique?" he asked.

"It's gender stereotyping and sexual discrimination," said his mother, Mindy Ball. "If he has to take off his lipstick, then so do the little girls in the school."


Of course, all of us queers are on high alert since Lawrence King. I promise I'll keep y'all updated. Oh yea, and hell yea, Mom in the article! You are *AWESOME!*

What does everyone think???

HEALTH: Lymphogranuloma Venereum (LGV)

Let's learn this evening, shall we?

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a sexually transmitted disease that is found in less than 600 cases in the United States every year. Why is it concerning then? Well, because a few years ago -- as recently as perhaps 2006 -- there were less than 80 cases in the United States. And, more fun, it is being found primarily in men who have sex with men ... all thanks to a little uptick in the Netherlands around that same time. Until recently, it had been found primarily in the heavily gay populated areas of the US -- you know, New York, LA, SF, etc. Well, apparently, it's in Cincinnati, too.

It's a nasty little form of chlamydia that causes abcesses in the groin, rectal, or oral areas. Yummy. Doctors may not even know what they are looking at, although treatment is nothing atypical for people with abcesses and a bacterial infection, so it's not difficult to deal with.

From this article:
Officials are concerned because the disease, like many other sexually transmitted diseases, can accelerate the spread of HIV infections and perhaps enhance replication of HIV in people who are co-infected. Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV, is caused by three strains of the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis – strains that are different from those that cause regular chlamydia infections or eye diseases.

Symptoms include bleeding, inflammation of the rectum and colon, and abdominal cramping. Infection can be fatal if left untreated.

It can be cured with antibiotics such as doxycycline, but three weeks of treatment are required – substantially longer than what is required for common genital chlamydia.

The disease is most prevalent in parts of Asia, Africa and South America along the equator, but it made an unexpected appearance in Europe in 2004. The Netherlands, which normally had seen four or five cases per year, suddenly began to see two cases per week; other European countries reported similar experiences.

Since then, LGV has shown up in the United States and Canada, generally in cities with a high prevalence of other sexually transmitted diseases.

There is also some hints that there is a connection between LGV and HIV transmission.

The CDC has begun the LGV Project to start tracking it.

And here is its entry on eMedicine, which cites homosexual men as one of the groups that are of interest.

ELECTION 2008: Encyclopedia Baracktannica

Is it weird that I am posting this directly from the Slate website. It's kind of weird to me. Mental note: CHANGE PASSWORD. Else Slate.com will start spamming my blog.

Meanwhile, found this on the Slate website and got a good giggle out of it. This is me doing three things: 1) Putting off work, 2) Putting off finishing the gaycincinnati.com post, and 3) Putting off homework.

And I'm being a bitch to my coworkers, so I'm hiding.

ELECTION 2008: A rumor

I got this from an... interesting source, so the truthiness of it may be weak...

Rumor has it that Joe Biden will be coming down with a medical condition in the next couple of weeks. And his replacement as VP candidate will be Hillary Clinton.

We'll see if the rumor pans out.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

VLOGGING/UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI/PERSONAL

Hello readers!
In an effort to differentiate my posts from Barry's, I've decided to mainly post my YouTube vlogs here. This way my posts are less text-laden compared to his blogs, and ya'll will be able to tell them apart easier. Good idea? What do ya'll think?
So here it is!

Later lovelies!
-Cody

ELECTION 2008: Debate #1

I did not watch the debate last night... I was drinking.. but the response seems to have been underwhelming on both sides. But this from the CNN article today:
More than two-thirds of debate watchers agreed that both McCain and Obama would be able to handle the job of president if elected.
If this election truly is solely about whether Barack Obama is ready to be president, then, guess what? This is the number that matters the most.

Friday, September 26, 2008

PERSONAL: Jesus was right...

Man can't live on bread and water alone.

Coffee, peanut butter sandwiches, and cigarettes, however...

That's ok.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

ELECTION 2008: A suggestion for Obama...

"Senator McCain, you will not have the opportunity to suspend your presidency when things aren't going your way."

That's all I'm saying.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

BLOGGING: Seven new blogrolls and few updates today.

Lots of new stuff today!!!!

Thanks to Cincinnati Blog for constantly keeping me up to date on all the wonderful blogs here in the city... I had found both of these before but had never actually blogrolled them until today.

1. Just Past Central -- "Life in Cincinnati's Newest Old Neighborhood" -- OTR-focused blog.

2. Somewhere Over-the-Rhine -- "A site dedicated to Cincinnati's Over the Rhine Neighborhood" -- also an OTR-focused blog.

Also blogrolled today...

3. Benjamin Nicholas's 15 Minutes... -- NSFW -- the life of a professional escort.

4. Ex-Gay Watch -- News on conversion therapies. Excellent, excellent resource.

5. Fivethirtyeight.com -- Excellent updates on the election.

6. DemConWatch -- "News and views about the Democration National Convention and the 2008 Election."

7. 3 Blue Dudes -- Very much a Dem site following the 2008 election.

YEA FOR UPDATES!!!

Also, I am working on the layout a little bit. I'm trying to find a way to make the individual posts more distinct so that when we have text-heavy times, the individual posts don't blend together. You may see the look change a bit over the next couple of days... I kinda like the current look, but it may change.

Also, don't forget to check out the funny new VLOG from Danrambles.

OHIO/CINNKY: Geography of Personality

From a Cambridge University Study:
The personalities of people in the USA often differ according to the state in which they live, a new study led by Cambridge University has revealed.

Researchers used the results from more than half a million online surveys to create a "personality map" of the United States, showing that different types of people are more likely to live and flourish in different parts of the country.

For example, according to the findings, North Dakotans are often more sociable and affable than most Americans, while people living in New York State tend to be more highly-strung and creative.

The research team found "striking" wider geographical trends, such as a national "stress belt" dividing the more anxious and impulsive eastern USA from the comparatively relaxed west. They also identified strong links between personality traits and certain social phenomena, such as crime and life expectancy rates.

The study is the first analysis of its kind and was led by Dr Jason Rentfrow, a lecturer in social and political sciences at the University of Cambridge (UK). Dr Rentfrow is originally from Louisiana, a state where his own research would suggest the people are often friendly, but stress levels are high.

"Although these are preliminary findings and require more evaluation, they did throw up some striking geographical trends," Dr Rentfrow said.

"Obviously it's not as simple as saying that a person is guaranteed to be more anxious if they come from West Virginia or more religious because they happen to live in New Mexico; but we did find pretty clear signs that there are meaningful differences in the personalities of people living in different areas of the United States.

"What is particularly impressive is that the results show the effects of personality on people's social habits, values and lifestyles are so pronounced that they have an impact on much bigger social forces."

The study broke down personality types according to five factors: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. 

And overall summary from here:

Extraversion
Personality traits: Sociable, energetic, and enthusiastic

High-scoring states: North Dakota, Wisconsin, District of Columbia, Nebraska, Minnesota, Georgia, South Dakota, Utah, Illinois, Florida

Low-scoring states: Vermont, Washington, Alaska, New Hampshire, Maryland, Idaho, Virginia, Oregon, Montana, Massachusetts

Agreeableness

Personality traits: Warm, compassionate, co-operative and friendly.

Highest-scoring states: North Dakota, Minnesota, Mississippi, Utah, Wisconsin, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma, Nebraska.

Lowest-scoring states: New York, Nevada, Wyoming, District of Columbia, Alaska, Maine, Rhode Island, Virginia, Connecticut, Montana.

Conscientiousness

Personality traits: Dutiful, responsible, self-disciplined.

Highest-scoring states: New Mexico, North Carolina, Georgia, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Florida, Arizona, Missouri.

Lowest-scoring states: Wyoming, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Maine, Alaska, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York.

Neuroticism

Personality traits: Anxious, stressful and impulsive.

Highest-scoring states: West Virginia, Rhode Island, New York, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Arkansas.

Lowest-scoring states: Alaska, Oregon, South Dakota, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Arizona, Nebraska, North Dakota, Nevada.

Openness:

Personality traits: Curious, intellectual, creative.

Highest-scoring states: District of Columbia, New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington, California, Vermont, Colorado, Nevada, Maryland.

Lowest-scoring states: Wisconsin, Alabama, Alaska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Nebraska, Iowa, Delaware.  

How does Ohio fall overall? Thanks to this convenient map (warning: PDF):

Extraversion: 3

Agreeableness: 3

Conscientiousness: 4

Neuroticism: 1

Openness: 3

*"1" - top 10, "2" - 11-20, "3" - 21-30, "4" - 31-40, "5" - bottom 11 (incl. DC)

Apparently we're really neurotic, and not so conscientious. Overall, though, middle of the road... yet again...

GAY STUFF: Clay Aiken and Li-Lo Come Out!!!


No really. This is not a joke.

Here are the reports:

It looks as if two big stars — Lindsay Lohan and Clay Aiken — are coming out this week.

The Perez Hilton gossip Web site Tuesday ran what it claims is a copy of the Oct. 6 People magazine cover, showing a photo of Aiken holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken. The headline reads: "New dad Clay Aiken — Yes, I'm Gay." A secondary headline reads: "The 'Idol' star opens up about his emotional decision to come out: 'I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things.'"

Hilton's Web site had no other information on the supposed story, and People magazine was not commenting Tuesday. People's Web site invited readers to return this morning for the "full scoop on Clay Aiken."

Aiken has long refused to discuss his love life, despite persistent rumors. His child, born Aug. 8, was conceived via in vitro fertilization with Jaymes Foster, his longtime pal and record producer.

Meanwhile, Lohan on Tuesday publicly confirmed for the first time she is in a romantic relationship with disc jockey Samantha Ronson. During an interview with Los Angeles radio station KROQ's Ted Stryker (the talk dealt mainly with Lohan's thoughts on the plane crash that left DJ AM and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker critically injured and killed four others), Lohan was asked how long she'd been "going out" with Ronson, prompting a laugh from Lohan.

"A very long time," she said after a pause.

And the whole gay world goes "we know!"

Oh, and Ellen Degeneres
comes out against Proposition 8 -- finally.

And Happy National Bisexuality Day (albeit a day late!)

POP CULTURE: Britney Spears

I'm really upset today. 

Britney Spears' new single has been pushed back since it is, as yet, unfinished and not in a great place to be put out. Apparently, there are people that care enough about her to slowly help her restart her career. Well done!

The song, Womanizer, was accidentally leaked and there's this whole mess going on around that, but ... yea...

Drag queens everywhere, be sad. You won't get the new song for this weekends' shows.

ELECTION 2008: Tie Scenarios

Ask and ye shall receive. I think the guy over at electoral-vote.com is reading (which, if you look today, show Barack ahead 282-236... with Ohio as a tie). I said I wanted a good review of what would happen if the Electoral-Vote is 269-269... And he posts his analysis:
The whole thing could make 2000 look like a clean-cut victory.
And then also posted a link to the 3Blue Dudes analysis (a great blog, as well):
So behold with fear the impending doom that a 269-269 scenario could bring on this country of ours. All the more reason for Obama to get to 270.  So if you live in NV or NH and can help swing those small states along with Colorado then do it.   Otherwise the longest election season in our country’s history will extend into the holidays and the next year and beyond. 
So there you go.


Tuesday, September 23, 2008

HIV/AIDS: "Resetting Priorities"


This graphic from the below article provides no useful information :-)

There is a great story that can be found here on the cover of Chemical and Engineering News about the hunt for an HIV/AIDS vaccine and the reason the most recent attempts have either failed or been pulled. It's a great rundown of what's been going down and why, excactly, our two most recent "hopeful" attempts -- the 2003 AIDSVax and the more recent (2007) Merck trials -- failed and changed the way we consider the process of searching for a vaccine.

It's really a science laden article, but I think it can be easily understood from a lay perspective. But the final lines are especially poignant:
"Developing and delivering an HIV vaccine," Bernstein says, "has to be a global effort, and that's where the enterprise uniquely comes in because we're charged with bringing together people from all over the world—whether they are funders, scientists, governments, advocates, or industry—to work together."

Vaccine development has always relied heavily on empiricism. And even when successful, it has more often than not taken several decades to create a vaccine after finding the cause of a disease. "This is going to be a long haul," Bernstein says. "There are no quick wins, and we should stop thinking and planning like there are."

Anyways, check it out. Here is a break down of all the previous attempts and how they fared in FDA trials (btw --> Phase III is the final phase before general usage; Phase IV "trials" is seeing what happens in the general population...):


PS This is especially interesting in the context of this blog as I talked about the Merck failure exactly a year ago here. Weird. I can now back-quote myself.

ELECTION 2008: New Electoral Vote Count Update!

ISO: A poll tracker that currently shows a John McCain win based on state-by-state polling. I would like to start tracking that, as well, but my main sources of conservative commentation -- ColdHeartedTruth, Election Junkie, and Election Projection -- all show a statistical win for Barack Obama.

OK -- so it's been well over a month before I did a comprehensive update on the election, and I'm not going to do a lot of going into anything becuase everyone is still obsessed with celebrity.

The big news, of course, is that John McCain's post-convention bounce has vanished into thin air.... and the unfavorables on that woman are going up. And, what makes things even more fun, is that it appears we have an outing in the McCain camp: Mark Buse, McCain's Chief of Staff. According to Joe.My.God., this is one of four acceptable reasons to out a public figure... when they run the program for a prominent anti-gay politician. And I think, yes, we're going to say that he's anti-gay, that McCain fellow. (This was originally posted on Michelangelo Signorile's blog, btw, who does an excellent job talking about it.)

It has also been reported that Obama seems to have conceded North Dakota, despite earlier indications he was ahead there by pulling out his staff and moving them to Mississippi and Wisconsin. Why does this matter? Because it signifies the first major move away from the 50-state solution in a state that looked like we might be able to grab. But... Mississippi? Obama must be really hoping for huge new additions to the voter rolls... though the socially conservative black vote in California may start problems for Proposition 8.

Oh, and the first debate is this Friday.

Onto the numbers, where I'm going to simply start documenting what states are "new Dem" states from the 2004 (what seems to be pickups from the 2004 election) -- please note that Barack only needs to get all the Kerry states + 3 more... pretty much any three more.

There is a very large chance that we could have a tie situtation. If Barack wins Colorado, New Mexico, and Iowa, but New Hampshire goes red (this is a completely likely scenario), then the EV's split 269-269. The House then decides the election with each state getting one vote. There's a great rundown on what that would look like out there on the interweb somewhere that I read. I will try to find it again because it is worth the read and shows a likely John McCain win (if we assume that the representatives from each state, appropriately, voted for the candidate that their state went for). A tie, then, works well into the hands of the Republicans even assuming a complete Dem take-over of the House (also very likely).

Oh, and PS, I really don't think either Pennsylvania or Michigan are as "swingy" as everyone makes them out to be. Rather, I think there is almost no chance either will go McCain unless it's a McCain landslide.

As a reminder, this is what the 2004 electoral vote map looked like...



New Projections...
ElectionProjection.com: 273 (BO), 265 (JM) -- Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa (the second two look to be less "swing" this time around) There also seems to be an interesting shift in both the Governor's races, with Washington swinging right, and a Senate race or two on this site.

Electoral-Vote.com: 273 (BO), 265 (JM) -- Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa. I watch this site daily ... he updates at 6:00am. Also, he started a new site, evstrength.com, though I prefer his old method. Check out the map from Sept. 18, whic was the highest point McCain had reached, when Pennsylvania started to swing -- it is the only winning scenario that any site has yet published.

Election Junkie: 298 (BO), 240 (JM) -- Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa, Nevada, and Ohio. This is really really old data, publishedon 8/30/08, so pre-convention.

ColdHeartedTruth: 273 (BO), 265 (JM) -- CO, NM, IA. Are you seeing a pattern here, kids?

270toWin.com: 202 (BO), 163 (JM), 173 (ties) -- these are the "strong state numbers." Swing states listed: WI, MI, MO (which is almost out of the discussion these days it seems), CO, NV, PA, OH, IN, VA, NH, NC, FL, and MN. A lot more Dem swings than Rep swings.

USElection Atlas: 273 (BO), 265 (JM) -- again, more of the same. CO, NM, IA.

DemConWatch: 284 (BO), 254 (JM) -- I'm not quite sure I understand where they get this number from -- but I like it!!!

FiveThirtyEight.com: 312 (BO), 226 (JM) -- this is the only site that shows a "landslide" (>300EV's) for Barack, it's also the only one that has VA still listed as blue. However, it's also the only site that weights the polls based on accuracy and when they were done. Something to think about...


Last Post's (8/13/08) Projections...
ElectionProjection.com: 298 (BO), 240 (JM)
Electoral-Vote.com: 289 (BO), 249 (JM)
Election Junkie: 278 (BO), 260 (JM)
ColdHeartedTruth: 298 (BO), 240 (JM)
270toWin.com: 231 (BO), 154 (BO), 153 (ties)
USElectionAtlas: 293 (BO), 245 (JM)
DemConWatch: 299 (BO), 239 (JM)

I know you are all so excited I did this. Just, please, humor me and read :-).

Sunday, September 21, 2008

POLITICS: Democrats fight back

Thanks be to Nancy Pelosi for standing up on the $700billion bail out Bush and crew are offering Wall Street. $700 billion is a lot of money, kids. I really hope it works. Please, let it work, because I read somewhere the most distubing comment ever on someone's blog: Is this how my grandmother felt that Friday in 1929?

Per Pelosi:
We will not simply hand over a $700 billion blank check to Wall Street and hope for a better outcome.
Brava.

POLITICS: South African President Resigns


Picture from the article on CNN linked below

South African President Thabo Mbeki resigned today, though when he would officially leave office is as-yet undetermined.

At first, I was jubilant at the news, because of his connections to AIDS denialism -- which, upon further reading, is not as bad as I thought it was originally, just the opinions of his Health Minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (who is an avid AIDS denialist and says that garlic can cure the disease).

However, reading more, he apparently was really good for the country.

Here's to you, President Mbeki, I have to give you props. Good luck, via con dios.

POP CULTURE: Ryan Seacrest


So watching th pre-show for the Emmy's and Ryan Seacrest is talking to Kathy Griffin. She comments that Ryan must be sad that Josh Grobban gets more tail than Ryan. Towhit Ryan responds:
"Well, Josh has actual talent. I just fill time."
Apparently he's perfectly aware that he has no value in the real world. LOL

PS There are very few "funny pictures" of Ryan Seacrest out there. He's really well "image controlled."

ENVIRONMENT: Global Warming Video


Most disturbing global warming video ever. Most beautifully disturbing video ever.

Thanks to neatorama.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

GAY MOVIE REVIEW: Ethan Mao


This is a new feature here at QC.com! We have gotten a lot of hits for our movie stuff -- in fact, if you had typed in "lgbt movies" in google for a few days there, QC.com was the number three hit!!! :-) So we'll keep that up, shall we? Besdies, I do a lot of sitting in front of the TV with my computer studying, so there's lots and lots of time for me to watch...

Ethan Mao
It has sat on my shelf for almost a year now, and I kept swearing I was going to watch it. I got it in the bargain bin at Blockbuster like I do all my movies. Thanks to my affection for Happy Together,  the first gay movie I ever watched and was about Asian gays, I thought this would interest me as easily.

The story is about Ethan, and his roommate Romeo, accidentally-on-purpose taking his family hostage a few months after he gets kicked out for being gay. Predictably, in independent gay movies, the boy turns to hustling and drugs as a way of coping and making money. In an attempt to steal money from his father, they show up unexpectedly and suddenly we have a hostage situation on our hands. Not so unexpectedly for a movie of this genre. I often wonder if the difference between big-budget movies and independents is that big-budget movies depict stories that are thought out and purposeful... where as independents show the randomness of life. 

There are very few surprises in this flick. Not so surprisingly, Ethan and Remigio (pronounced Romeo) are in love and don't know it. Not so surprisingly, there is a really strong mom issue throughout. Not so surprisingly, someone sells them out when they say they won't. Not so surprisingly, there is an evil stepmom twist and an attempt to seduce one of the two hostage takers. On top of that, the accting is mediocre to good, and the lines are sometimes delivered as if in a high school play.

Honestly, Ethan screaming to his stepmom "I said piss in your pants, bitch!" (and she does) could have been a great one-liner out of this flick, but it was delivered weakly. 

That said, I'll probably watch it again. The boys are passably cute, and, despite the inevitably of jail at the end, it is a rather interesting love story. The final kiss is sweet, though the final line about it -- "you'll be the first person I kiss if I ever love anyone" -- is weak and pandering to the main story line. Sadly, I kind of wanted just to see the two main characters doing that a quarter of the way into the movie, during one of their drug highs, rather than five minutes before it ended. 

The character development is astounding for everyone involved, right down to the brothers. Everyone grows, and it is believable growth that we see. The script is excellent and the movie is worth it for that much, at least. 

I also expected more out of Quentin Lee -- the director. Honestly, some of the shots were weak and blocked half of the face of the character in the middle of action. There was too much panned lighting, though the shot of the urine going down stepmom's leg onto the nice carpeting was sheer brilliance. The out-of-focus-into-focus shot is overdone in the genre, too, btw. I get it. Things are becoming "clearer."

At only 87 minutes, it's easy to get through, though the dream sequences will leave you going "what what what" more often than not. Watch it, but take it as a slightly different twist on the typical gay love story, but you'll find yourself often thinking "yea, I feel like I've seen some of this before."

If you would like to write a gay movie review, just email queercincinnati.com.

GENERAL STUFF: New word!!!

I made up a new word today (in honor of the Queers' United blogs' WORD OF THE GAY series -- check it out, their latest one is Sissyphobia, which I think Trevor Hoppe would like a lot):

Pracrastubation (noun)
the act of practrastinating school work by spending hours searching for internet porn, usually immediately after the connection to a high-speed internet line
verb: to procrastubate
adj: proscrasturbative
adv: proscrasturbatively

Teehee.

Later update: Damn... thought I was being original. Apparently it all ready exists...

Friday, September 19, 2008

POLITICS: Major Gay People Not Donating against Prop 8

INMagazine, from LA, has an interesting brief article on people that have yet to donate against Prop 8 (which would, again, illegalize gay marriage in California if passed). For those who aren't paying attention, it's set to fail (and, thus, allow gay marriage) polling 55-41. However, the money hasn't quite started to be used yet.

Here are the notable people who have not donated yet...

-Ellen Degeneres
-Rosie O'Donnell
-Elton John
-Marc Cherry
-Melissa Etheridge

There's more, and a a list of some of the top donors.

And don't forget about Brad Pitt's fabulous huge donation.

Thanks to Bilerico for the referral!

GENERAL STUFF: Happy Birthday Smiley Emoticon :-)

Thanks to 5ch4r7z for bringing this to my attention on Twitter...

Happy Birthday Emoticon!!!!

:-)

It was created on September 19th, 1982, just over a month before I was born. The original message is funny (per Wikipedia article):

19-Sep-82 11:44 Scott E Fahlman :)
From: Scott E Fahlman
I propose that the following character sequence for joke markers:

:-)

Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark things that are NOT jokes - given current trends. For this, use

:-(

Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!!! :-)

OHIO/CINNKY: UC Medical School Pictures

The other day I'm idly wandering the hospital and 5 in the morning, see an open door with a strange site...

Photobucket


And I kinda go "what what what?" And am treated to the most spectacular addition to the UC Medical School.

Sorry for the poor quality, I took these with my cell phone. I'll bring my real camera up here in a few days. It's amazing. Really.

Photobucket
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I am seven floors up, btw, looking down in those three pictures
Photobucket

Definitely check it out folks.

OHIO/CINNKY: Wind Storm Coverage

Thanks to Cincinnati blog for pointing this out about the lack of local (radio) media coverage. I had power and two TV stations during the storm. Funniest thing said during a newscast: if you are out of power but have access to the internet, check out our website.

Um, you just eliminate 99% of internet users there :-). (Blah blah -- blackberries -- cell phone service was scattered -- battery operated laptops -- my cable/internet is still down, how's yours?)

From Cincinnati.com (of all places...)
Most radio stations relied on their listeners to provide news reports when deadly hurricane-force winds blew through the region Sunday.

Why? Because most stations don't have reporters to cover events.

"With corporate ownership wanting to show bigger and bigger profits, news departments are cut. They're expensive to operate," said John W. Owens, a University of Cincinnati electronic media associate professor.
And btw, I'm still waiting for any kind of major coverage on any major news network about the 700,000 people that went without power this week here in the area. How many total across Ohio???

And, friends over at Cincinnati Blog ... we have quite a few people I have run into in my profession that have said they've had to throw out entire refrigerators full of food. It's not just "some poor person" ... I go to school full time, am on a very limited budget, had just bought my entire food budget (save for $15 emergency dollars) worth of food on Saturday after going two weeks without anything but hot dogs or mashed potatoes in my house... I got very lucky and did not lose power.

Otherwise, I would be at the Freestore, as well.

BTW --> This is the 600th blog on queercincinnati.com... WOW!

GAY STUFF: Best and Worst Places to be Gay



Ten Best Places to be Gay

Via the Independent, the Ten Best Places to Be Gay...

1. San Francisco, CA, USA
2. Sydney, Australia
3. New York City, New York, USA
4. Mykonos, Greece
5. Paris, France (picture above from this article)
6. Barcelona, Spain
7. Amsterdam, the Netherlands (What the article says, for Michi and TY: In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. Not surprisingly, queer life has blossomed in this sexually liberated nation, and nowhere more so than in the cultural capital of Amsterdam. The city has its own Pink Point, an information centre for gays and lesbians situated near the Anne Frank House, and next to it a monument dedicated to the promotion of gay rights - the Homomonument - unveiled in 1987. Amsterdam's first gay hotel, the Golden Bear, has been open on Kerkstraat since 1948, and the city's queer culture is most visible in this street and around Rembrandtplein.)
8. London, England, UK
9. Copenhagen, Denmark
10. Berlin, Germany

Strange... I don't see Beijing on there.

Same place, different article...

Five Worst Places to Be Gay

Saudi Arabia
Homosexuality is punished with the death penalty or, occasionally, a severe whipping.

Iran
In 2007 President Ahmadinejad declared that homosexuality did not exist in his country. Should the need arise, however, there is a law against it carrying a punishment of anything from jail to public lashing to death.

Jamaica
The worst place in all the Americas to be gay. Male homosexuality is against the law and the punishment is 10 years hard labour.

Afghanistan
The death penalty introduced under the Taliban is no longer officially enforced, but it depends who catches you.

Nigeria
Homosexuality is illegal and punishment can be anything from four years to the death penalty. Even writing or talking about support for gay people can land you in prison.

(Thanks be to Joe.My.God.)

HIV/AIDS: Benjamin Nicholas


Picture from the 15minutes blog


Ok, this is my "guilty pleasure" blog. Even though the man can be stuck up and annoying ("oh, I just love Florence.." blah blah blah... yea, I get it, you're still a professional prositute... er... escort, a job I actually covet but let's call a potato a potato), Benjamin ("I did not have sex with Trent Lott") Nicholas is none the less entertaining.

But one of his latest blog he talks, albeit briefly, about PEPFAR:

First off, getting into the states as a foreigner isn't always an easy thing. Thanks to a little internet research, it's evident that we don't let a whole lot of people pass through without asking them to jump through some hoops. Hell, the USA discriminates against those who are poor, routinely denying Visas for simply not having the means to get back to where they came from. All of this process is in place to not only keep the USA safe, but to continually stabilize our population with the variety of melting pot culture we're accustomed to. Sure, we're a country founded on immigration, but keep in mind that it was highly controlled and by legal means.

Think about it: Is allowing someone into our country with a debilitating, communicable disease a good thing? Would we put up the same anti-discriminatory argument if it was someone with Bird Flu or Polio? Are we giving HIV a hall-pass because slick pharmacological advertising has brainwashed us into thinking it's now a manageable lifestyle?

Believe what you'd like, but HIV is not manageable. It's not as easy as the ads in the pages of The Advocate would have you believe: One simple pill a day and life is back to normal. That's pie-in-the-sky bullshit and if you think for a second that people aren't still dying on a daily basis thanks to complications from HIV and AIDS, you're as dilluted as dishwater. A total cure is light years from being found and a vaccine for the existing uninfected is at least 25 years away from realization (or so says the Bill Gates Foundation).

So, with that in front of me, I say keep them out. Why do we need to take even greater risk as Americans, all in the name of 'equality.' This isn't about equality. It's about grandiose, radical-PCism from people who have no real grasp on reality or self-preservation. You might call it cold-hearted, but when push comes to shove, a survivalist mentality isn't a bad thing.

This also brings me to remind my readers that no matter how muscular, how beautiful or how young that guy may be, always assume he's HIV-positive. With infection rates again on the rise, taking 30 seconds to roll on a condom is more important than ever. In seeing a few former escorts make a quick re-appearance into the industry, I question their motives, as well as their health status. Always be aware and think backwards, connecting the dots, as far as memory will serve.


Good point, failed conclusion.

Unlike bird flu or polio, HIV as a communicable disease requires special means of transmission. Bird flu just requires breathing. HIV requires fucking. The key point you're missing, darling BN (whom I also follow on twitter), is that the people who end up contracting HIV from people from out of the country are engaging in behavior, likely with other people, that is indicative for seroconversion. Though it sounds callous, my point is this: we need more thorough prevention, not discrimination.

And, btw, for a lot a lot of people in the world and in this country, HIV is fairly manageable. It still blows and there are so many thousands of reasons not to get HIV (the fact that, despite lengthening life, it has a really high mortality rate over the lifespan is one of many); don't forget that not everyone is a muscle man with HIV, but some are.

In deductive reasoning (maybe inductive? awww hell, logic), I call this a FAIL.

PS ---> I also don't think Mr. Nicholas is that spectacular of a PR person for himself. The whole Trent Lott debacle was poorly handled. He didn't even get a friend to talk for him.

HEALTH: Genomics lecture

I went to this Genomics lecture this evening at school that was being offered by Dr. Amoils of the Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine, a member of the Bravewell Collaborative, on genomics and holistic health.

Their point, I think, was to teach us up-and-coming nurses about the new fields that are developing in health. Dr. Amoils made some excellent point -- in that most of healthcare is based on fixing a problem rather than prevention. I agree with that 100%, and I think that his aims are genuine. I believe that he is an intelligent man who genuinely believes in what he says.

However, the "quack radar" went off a couple of times. A couple of my problems that rang in my head:

1) He said that western medicine is best for acute issues, and lacks real depth in problems that last for 2-3 months or more. I call bullshit. HPV, HIV, and cancer are all long-term issues and we seem to have made great strides in helping out. (To his defense, pain management is something we still lack in, but how much of it is real and how much of it is addiction issue, actually?) For most chronic conditions, Western medicine does offer help, but it's up to the patient to follow up properly, though the idea of "patient responsibility" is pariah in health care these days.

2) He claimed that it's really difficult to study his methods because they include "whole person" approaches which does not fit into the randomized, double blind studies that dominate medical science these days. So, the point here is that you can't isolate the benefit of anything he's offering. Oh, right.

3) It's really expensive, and only partially coverable by insurance.

4) Though there is proof that herbs, processes like acupunture, and other approaches off help, I have to wonder one thing (and one thing he did not answer when I asked): why is there not more scientific evidence or study; and, if there is, why isn't it published all over the media? I always wonder about situations where people "pharmaceutical conspiracy." It doesn't ring right.

5) Agreed, we should have a whole-person approach to medicine and health and wellness. However, why did it take 50 minutes for him to mention the key role exercise plays into this equation? The "Meditteranean diet" (which he pushes big time) may be beneficial, but I'll bet you it will do nothing compared to people getting off their asses on a regular bases. And, btw, Dr. Amoils, five minutes six times a day does not equal 30 minutes once a day. It is more helpful than nothing, but it is not enough.

6) Anytime you talk about weight loss for another condition as a result of treatment, I hear dinging. You know why? Because when someone says "this helped people lose weight!" I immediately buy in and think "oh yea? hrmm..." I'm sure most of diet-crazed America is on my side for this one.

7) Fetishizing 5000 year old treatments, or European styles, will not pass here. One, we're not Europe. Two, the average life space 5000 years ago was, what, maybe 30 years old? I think age is against you on this one.

8) There was also quite a bit on genetic marking and testing ... which, and I'm not educated that much, sounded really convincing, but he blanched over the science so much that I'm still not sure I get it, nor do I think I understand what he was talking about when he said "x pt was double-plus for breast cancer." It rang bad.

I did approve of his "matrix" focus -- how one piece of health affects the rest. More attention should be paid there... especially mental and social health. So, in that, he's completely right.

The rest of it is a little "uhhhh..." to me.

So this was a blog I posted years ago on the AVOC Myspace about the same subject...

And don't forget to check out one of my favorite websites -- Quackwatch which offer the following articles on genomics and related issues: 1, 2, and 3.

---------

Ok, so this issue is one of my (again, Barry, one of the educators) personal pet peeves: health fraud. We live in an age of instant fixes and instant gratification. Guess what? When it comes to your health there is nothing you can do but take it slowly. (I lost 70lbs, trust me, slow is better although painful and annoying)

Why does this matter when it comes to HIV/AIDS and/or sexual health? Well, people tend to see things in this light and don't recognize that reported cures and reported "ways to help" or "ways to protect" do not work. Period. So, I thought we'd do a little edu-ma-cation and see how to easily spot a health fraud (this is all adapted from a pamphlet published by the FDA).

Easy Ways to Spot a Health Fraud

This Product Helps Everything
Diseases have different causes and different effects no single anything will cure everything. A lot of these diseases do not have a cure, and the product may only help with treatment. Does any medication -- from tylenol to echinacea -- help everything? No. It may de-stress, it may boost immunity, but how can one thing solve everything? Hell, we can't even agree on a computer operating system.

Personal Testimony
This is merely hearsay, and offers no real evidence. We've all seen the late night diet/weight loss "miracles." Look closely. Do they look the same? Or, better yet, do you see the little statement that says "Results not typical?" DUH! Different things work for different people.

Quick Fixes
Theres no such thing especially for long-term, debilitating diseases like HIV or cancer. Always question the time frame. Remember, God created the world in seven days and were still debating how long that was. This is just false hope, and I hate to burst people's bubbles. We can't cure you.

Natural
Natural does not mean safe (poison ivy and poisonous mushrooms are natural). If something can work, then it will cause side effects in some people.

Time-tested (especially ancient remedies)
The world is different than it was in 200 BCE, and we are aware of many changes in strains of diseases. More importantly, the average lifespan until the 20th century the golden age of medical science was barely under 50 years old. It is now 76 in the United States. Do you really want to go back to the ages of cocaine-laced Coca-cola (bad example), snake oil, and leeches? Yes, of course, some of these do work, but you gonna risk it?

Breakthrough cure
If it is such a breakthrough, why is it in the back of a magazine and not on the front page of the New York Times?

Paranoid Accusations
Think about it realistically: can you believe that there are millions of people, all of whom are healthcare workers, out there looking to make millions off of sickness and death? Or is it really more reasonable to believe that people are genuinely interested in helping others? If you discovered something great that would cure millions, would you hide it and let people die, or would you go out, spread the word, and become an international hero?

Medical Jargon
If you dont know what it is, look it up and see how it relates to the issue youre investigating. Thermogenesis has little to do with weight loss, I understand.

Lack of Scientific Evidence
Look for more than one study and make sure it is independent. Dont assume that a study done by the company promoting a new treatment will be valid.
Remember: if its too good to be true, it probably is. And always, always research anything you are taking or planning to take. The doctors are there to help you and are not trying to harm you.

Last thing: there is more money in a cure than a treatment. Gonorrhea and chlamydia are curable, but there are still over 5 million new cases a year. Besides, if you cured HIV/AIDS, you wouldn't have to do a lick of work for the rest of your life... you'd be so busy being flown all over the world, treated to dinner, meeting important people, and being thanked for saving people's lives -- 40-50 million people to be exact. If you hid it in a vast conspiracy, then you'd have to work to hide it and keep on keeping on at the same damn job for the rest of your life. (Besides, honestly: a cure for AIDS? why hasn't there been a leak... you think Merck and Bristol-Meyers is killing off every person who might want to help people? doubtful).

Just use your common sense.

------

A great article on that Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About book.

PS Most of the se places sell a couple things as their cure: a more balanced diet, more/better nutrition, vitamins, and exercise.

So, yea...

HIV/AIDS: My story...

I wrote this a long time ago on the blog I wrong for the then AVOC (and you can see the original post over there at their myspace account ). I was back reading for another blog I'm working on this evening and I found this, and it always bears repeating...

-----

MyStory: Why I am where I am -- Barry's story

My brother introduced me to HIV. We were both in high school and he had donated blood at some student council event. I couldn't donate because I was having sex at that point, and really enjoying it (and the American Red Cross would not accept the blood of a man who has sex with men). I had been finding myself in places and situations my mother most definitely would not approve, and doing behaviors that I now identify as "high risk." No one had talked to me about condoms at that point.

But it was my brother, the senior, who said the letters H-I-V to me first. I suppose I know what they meant because I didn't ask, but this is the first memory I really have of understand.

So I remember my brother, standing in the kitchen and laughing at the letter that was sent to him from the American Red Cross: "I don't have HIV." My mother laughed with him. I shrugged it off. I didn't connect HIV with sex, drugs, or even gay people at that point.

Four years later, I was a sophomore in college. I was a closeted out gay man. Everyone knew, but I didn't know anyone and I had fallen into the trap of gay.com. I was using the web service as a means of finding some sort of connection with other gay men. My roommate was there all the time, so my furtive searches were few and far between, but they were there every moment that I was alone. And every time I found something -- because who could turn down a lonely, somewhat attractive, energeetic, eager-to-please 19 year old college student?

I'm not saying I was preyed upon, but I made myself the prey.

I met a guy. We'll call him Hugh. He must have been 38 and suffered from psoriasis of the skin, but he was somewhat attractive, owned his own house, was interested in dating me (imagine me, finally dating after not having anything I could call a boyfriend since I was sophomore in high school). I would have a boyfriend.

Of course! Of course! I would love to! Of course I would love to come over every day! Of course I'll ignore you comments that demean and degrade me! Of course I'll ignore that I am completely dependent upon you for my mobility! Of course! Of course! Of course!

I let him fuck me.

I had never had anal sex before. I was a 19 year old with 150-200 sexual partners, most of whom I couldn't remember and 99% of whom I didn't even know the first name of, and I had never been fucked. And he did. And I bled and I bled and I bled.

But no one had talked to me about HIV and I didn't know, but I knew I could get something... I think. Right? Something.

I remember the first time running to the bathroom and trying to wash it out. There was no condom; no one had ever talked to me about condoms. I tried to douche with soap and water; no one had ever talked to me about anal douching. I know I did a lot of crying that first time -- it did hurt -- but it went away. And it happened again. And again and again and again.

That was me, a 19 year old getting fucked for three months without a condom by a guy literally twice my age with psoriasis.

But it's ok, he says he likes me and wants to date me.

(All of this would come back years later, when I thought I was stronger when I accepted the constant comments on my size from a new boyfriend -- how wonderful my fat was, how much fatter I was than most, how much he loved my fat and could I have more -- and developed my own little case of anorexia. Things that go around...)

But we never dated, although I asked again and again. He just fucked me. Sometimes once a week, sometimes seven times a week. And each time, I think I bled. I remember blood, but it may simply be the stain on my memory and a fear that lingers with me.

Finally he said, ok, we can date, if that's what you want. Three months later, him promising to date me, and it's now what I want. But let's get tested first. I guess we missed a step in there.

It was my first time being tested and I was negative, but I remember being scared. I remember telling the cute blonde girl at student health services everything I was going through and everything I had gone through and letting it feel cathartic. And although I don't remember her responding to me, I remember identifying for the first time: I have a self-esteem problem.

Self-esteem is a funny thing because it's so masked in social work and that kind of feel-goodisms some people get into. I had a real self-esteem issue and I was following a 38-year old man with psoriasis around because he was the only one who I thought would love me.

I was negative. It was beautiful day, and the sun was shining. I remember feeling like it was ok, like the world was ok -- sure the lady said come back in six months to get tested again just in case, but I was negative.

This is the situation with a lot of people who get tested for the first time, save for one major difference:

He was positive.

He was positive.

He was positive.

And I cried because I remembered the cum and the sweat and the blood (oh god, the blood... and could you get it from tears or sweat because there was a lot of that too). I thought I was crying for him, but I wasn't.

He was postive, and he was 38.

And I was negative, and I was 19.

And I never saw him again because now he was concerned about me getting it.

Now he was, because I was negative and nineteen.

And he was positive.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

PERSONAL/VLOGGING: Well Fuck Me Silly!

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please, would you bring your attention to me!" *As if the title didn't already...*

Well my life has finally changed in a big way: I moved out of my parents' house Tuesday and into my lovely doormroom on the UC campus. How bloody fantastic! So far it's been pretty cool (even though I've stayed in my room most of today) and I've got a handful of new friends. And my 'fridge is still barren... I really need to go buy food... and drinks...

AND the best news of all!!! The YouTube vlog has officially begun!



In it I talk about some random stuff like moving and all that jazz, and soon I will have a spinoff YouTube channel specifically for QueerCincinnati related posts. Hopefully I will be out and about living the life enough to keep up on events, reviews, and more about the greater Cincinnati gay life. I'll vlog about all of it, cuz what in life is better than reading about a rookie newb and the shit he can get into?! I may even see of we can get some collab stuff put together with other gay Cincy vloggers like DanRambles and Mikiepg84, who are both cool as hell.

It's too bad I must be in Fort Wright for a meeting Saturday night because I would have loved to get out to Adonis for the show... For those who don't know, Jason Walker will be there performing, and from what I've heard he's pretty amazing. Adonis also has a pretty cool looking website with streaming music to get the thumpa-thumpa in your home!

That's all from The Seeker now. Later lovies!
-Cody

BTW the title was meant to be one of those, "Whuh?" things... It wasn't meant as an invite.*

*Unless under exceptionally hot (and safe) circumstances... lol

BLOGGING: New Column Up!

There's a new column up over at Rainbow Cincinnati! Here's your sneak preview:

Gender.

My mother still has no idea what I mean when I reference gender in discussion. I don't think 3/4 of the people I talk to know what I mean by it. When I talk about "gender deviation" or "trans-identity," the impression I get from the pallid stares is that most people are picturing a drag show in their head. And, while that immediate gut reaction is valid and important - as drag is probably the most regular example of gender performance that people can relate to - it is not everything. However, the rhetoric of the gay rights movement probably rests on a better understanding of the spectrum that gender implies.
(Click here for the rest)
Here is my whole column set over there

Darren, also, has updated. Here is a preview of his fabulous new posting:

It's been a busy summer. Starved for new things to do in the Queen City, I've ventured into some unfamiliar territory...and I have some tales to tell.

Last month a friend of mine (a not-so-single white female) took part in a lingerie show at the Lil' Bit bar down on Vine Street. I'd never been there before, so I showed up...just in time to see Allyson dancing around the bar, clad in black lacy lingerie, pimping herself out for tips. Allyson's straight, but let's face it...lesbians love cute girls in their underwear, no matter what their sexual orientation is. Some of the other girls who performed (mostly lesbians) were knockouts. Watching them bump and grind on top of the bar, I suddenly felt like I'd wandered into the movie 'Coyote Ugly', where the gals talk tough and pour some mean drinks. One particularly striking young woman caught my eye. Yes, you read that correctly. Every once in a while I find myself "intrigued by" ("attracted to" is an expression I'm not ready to commit to yet) certain women. Don't worry, guys, this boy's as gay as a Barry Manilow Christmas special; but it's nice to know that I can find other women both attractive and intriguing. Or perhaps I simply like a nice set of breasts, like everybody else. It's like looking at the Himalayas; I have no desire to climb them, but they sure do look nice.
(click here for the rest)

Juliet has gone quiet over there, but she's in the middle of being in love and we all know how that is for lesbians. :-) Them and their u-haulistic tendencies.

Click the image below for the rest of the excellent content over at gaycincinnati.com!

GENERAL STUFF: Heard outside...

Sitting outside the hospital, I hear a woman:
Damn, I'm about to play crazy so people will do shit for me.

What are the implications of this for the healthcare system???

GAY STUFF: Boys Beware!!! (1961)



Aside from the funny little bits about homosexuality, the funniest thing in this 10-minute 1961 educational film about the "danger[ous] and contagious" "mental illness" of homosexuality is the whole bit about "if your friend gets into a car with a stranger, make sure you write down the license plate number."

Oh? Is that what kids are doing wrong when they get into cars with strangers? Not writing down the license plate number?

Stolen from Ex-gay Watch (soon to be blogrolled)

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

BLOGGING: CALLING A BLOGGER BOYCOTT!!!!

From today on, I am calling a blogger boycott against one person: Sarah "Pray the Gay Out" Palin. Why? Because of this...



Remember it? Remember when McCain criticizes Obama for being nothing more than a celebrity? Right. And Sarah Palin is, now, what?

A Republican celebrity.

I am officially boycotting any mention of her from here on out. I will not mention Sarah Palin after today. I will not mention anything about her, about the absurdities and stupidities of the Palin life.

You hear that Sarah: I am done with you.

You will no longer get free press from me because of how stupid you are and how desperate picking you proves that McCain is. I am done with your lies, and I am done with the egregious lying the Republican party is putting out in support of you. I am done with everything you are, the anti-gay stance you have politically (even if you support them "personally"), done with the fact that in your two years as governor you only did two things about HIV/AIDS in your whole state (and both were just declarations), done with the fact that you have no experience and are ladened with more scandal than the rest of the world combined.

I am done with your "executive experience." You have none, and you are nothing.

Did you hear that, Sarah?

You are nothing and the equivalent of bubble gum on the foot of the American political system.

This is my final post on you. I encourage others to join me -- I encourage others to write one last post on why they are done -- and I call this a Blogger Boycott.

Remember, if you just stop talking about her, she goes away.

Monday, September 15, 2008

LAW: Florida law on its way out

Finally.

The law is up to be challenged again in Florida that bans gay people from adopting.

Let's hope they carry through this time.

From the Miami Herald article:

At the heart of the Monroe case is a 13-year-old boy with learning disabilities and special needs who has lived in his Key West foster father's two-story home since the Department of Children & Families placed him there in 2001. The boy is identified as John Doe. The father, 52, is not identified.

Audlin appointed the foster father as guardian for the boy in 2006. At a recent hearing, the boy testified he wanted the man to be his ''forever father'' -- like all the other kids had -- ''because I love him,'' the order says.

A home study by a social worker ''highly'' recommended the guardian and his partner be allowed to adopt the boy, saying the two men provided a ''loving and nurturing home,'' provided ''fair and consistent'' discipline and are financially secure, the order
says.

Miami attorney Alan Mishael, who represents John Doe's guardian, declined to discuss the ruling, since Audlin has not yet published it formally. He said the ruling is less about public policy than the welfare of a former foster child who wants a father of his own.

''This is a case about a young man who already had a permanent guardian but wanted to have a father,'' Mishael said. ``That's what the case is about. That's all it's about.''


Bout damn time. Fuck you Bushes for letting this carrying on (and fuck you Crist for not doing anything about it either).

I will never forgive a Bush for this. I will never forgive a Bush for the Federal Marriage Amendment. I will never forgive McCain for picking Sarah "pray the gay out" Palin.

Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you.

Am I getting through? Am I being clear?

ELECTION 2008: To all the McCain supporters out there...

BLOGGING: Making money off QueerCincinnati.com

So I've always debated the idea of doing ads or something on this site while I worked, and I've toyed with the idea a few times. LOL. This was my first foray into the idea:

BLIND EMAIL TO MY QUEERCINCINNATI@GMAIL ACCOUNT...
Hello,

I'm the webmaster of (WEBSITE) I wanted to know if by any chance you would be interested in doing an unbiased review of our site (WEBSITE) on your blog http://cincywestsidequeer.blogspot.com/

If you agree you can choose between receiving a product sample or receiving a payment.
If you choose the product sample instead of the payment the sample is yours to keep and you don’t need to send it back.

The product sample that you can get is Pearl earring and you can see it there: (WEBSITE)
Please let me know if you are interested.

Thank you (NAME)

------
MY RESPONSE
Are you real? I'm sorry I'm not opening your site until I hear that you are a genuine person :-).

You know, lots of spam out there and all.
------
RESPONSE BACK

hello there!

yes, i am a real person...

shall we start with the conversation?

Regards,(NAME)

MY NOTE: The "NAME" is actually just two initials. I never got a real name...
-----
MY RESPONSE

LOL Of course.

What do you want, what do you require, what is your interest, and what do you need from me.
-----
RESPONSE BACK
Hi B,
We are looking a review of our product on this website: (WEBSITE)

I can send you the jewelry and this will be the basis for your review.

Or if you wish to do a paid review, we can pay you $10 and no product will be sent anymore.

The review must have be least 300 words in length with 3 good links going to our website(keywords for the link will be provided) and publish the review in your blog.

By the way, if you want to earn more, subscribe to our services by clicking this link: (WEBSITE) You will receive more paid review invitations and that means, more earnings.

Please let me know what you have in mind so we can proceed.

Regards,(NAME)
-----
MY (FINAL) RESPONSE

$10 is a little cheap to be selling out... and it doesn't fit within the constraints of my blog.

Have a good day.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

GAY STUFF: Logo's Top 50 LGBT Movies

In response to my own post about LGBT movies, here is the top 10 as voted by Logo (readers? watchers? regardless...). I don't know how much I like this list. Some of them are downright bad... But, whatever. Click the link for all fifty.

1. Loving Annabelle* -
2. Brokeback Mountain
3. Latter Days*
4. Beautiful Thing
5. D.E.B.S.* -
6. Trick^
7. Tipping the Velvet* -
8. Big Eden*
9. Get Real* -
10. But I'm a Cheerleader^

*I've never seen
-I've never heard of
^Also appeared on my list.

LOL And Amazon.Com's "Most Watched GLBT Movies."

1. Longtime Companion* -
2. And the Band Played On
3. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
4. Steel Magnolias (really?)
5. First Wives Club (really? are these two gay?)
6. Love Valour Compassion*
7. Clueless (really? again, gay?)
8. Zero Patience*
9. Priest* -
10. In & Out

You'll notice the latter list is missing anything on my top ten.

And, importantly, there's a great list over here of GLBT movies to share with your teen.

PERSONAL: Postscript

PS to a couple of blogs...

Single again.

Now taking applications for weekend, drunken text messaging friends for fun makeout sessions with no emotional involvement. LOL

Or, you know, true love.

OHIO/CINNKY: Wind Storm


OK, my power went out and wasn't able to post any of my pictures and, by the time I can get them up, the story will be moot. So, sorry about that.

However, I thought I'd clue you in:

Word on the street is that they are going to deem this a disaster so that they can call in as many people as possible into the hospitals to deal with all the traumas that are going on.

Because I can't show you my world, let's look at the reactions and pics sent from other place...

At least one person is dead
CincyMoms' Forum
Apparently it really hurt gamers too
Nearly/Over 600,000 Out of Power
Cincinnati's Blog Great Take on It
CityKin has some excellent pictures

Shockingly, both the blogosphere and the online news sources are suspiciously quiet on the apocalypse storm outside. LOL


That's Ike running away -- thanks Cincinnati.com weather service for the picture!!!

Update:

Wine Me, Dine Me and BuyCincy both talk about the fires around Findlay Market, and the fact that it seems Grammer's building is burning. Pictures from BuyCincy:





UPDATE:
There was a meeting and it appears not every hospital in town is fully prepared for this sort of thing and there is talk of other hospitals -- including the VA -- sending everyone who requires something like, say, an XRay here. Love it.

ELECTION 2008: Tina Fey as Palin

I wondered when this would happen :-). That was quick. Thank you, Tina Fey.



I think it's brilliant that major news places are now covering SNL mockery.

This is dead on. Bless you, Tina Fey.



And don't forget about the VPILF thing. :-)

Oh and this is sheer brilliance... in honor of Sarah Palin's rather creative names for her children -- Willow, Piper, Trac, Trig, and Bristol -- there is the Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator. My name would be "Stinger Assassin Palin" if I were birthed out of Sarah Palin's vag. (Thanks Clark Street Blog !!!!)